If you are American, don't expect the same friendly, hospitable attitude of Royal Caribbean or Princess. I didn't meet a single American on this cruise that would recommend Costa. To the contrary, most were outspoken with their disappointment.

The itinerary seemed to be tailored to maximize shipboard time. In Puerto Rico and Nassau, there was little time to do anything except shop in the area closest to the pier. In the Dominican Republic, we docked at an industrial port. You had to pay for a bus ride into town, and there was only a couple of hours to do that. The only port that offered a full day in port was St. Thomas. Everything else was either their private island or a partial day. At the private island, you had to buy Costa beverages... A domestic beer on board cost $5.40 (US). A small pina colada was $7.

If you don't like Italian food, then you're in trouble. Most appetizers were pasta. I guess it's nice to try new menus from time to time, but my kids struggled to find anything on the menu they liked. We frequently visited the pizza buffet after dinner, just so they could eat. If you don't like pizza or pasta, forget the buffet. That's all they served at the times I was there. The breakfast buffet was awful. We only went once. Read more